Lying on the Roof
by ButterflySoft2010
Summary: It started with the seeming death sentence at the end of Futuritis...but how will it end? I hate writing summaries...Dasey.
1. Chapter 1

**I'm back! I finally got some inspiration when I was relaxing the other day on the roof of a building on campus (it's open and has tables and chairs). So I got an idea for this multichapter Dasey fic! **** Life is good. I'll try to update as often as I can, but between writing/editing the chapters and being a college student I don't know when I'll get around to doing it. So here goes!**

They had graduated. It was such an outrageous idea, but it had happened. Casey was still absorbing it, but she was also planning for the coming summer and semester at Queens. With Derek. She scowled to herself. Trust Derek to ruin this new chapter in her life. She had been trying to rid herself of him, rid herself of his constant pranks and interfering in her life. There went that idea!

With a sigh of exasperation, she rolled off her bed, course catalog in hand, and walked downstairs to the kitchen. Lo and behold, who would else be down but Derek? Oddly enough he had the same catalog in his hand.

"Hey. What are you doing up so late?"

"Looking at courses for next year. There are so many amazing classes!"

"I know! Women's Literature, Feminist Theory?" She rolled her eyes and scoffed.

"Derek! You're only taking those classes to meet girls!"

"Uh, yeah! But maybe I should just take the classes you're taking then take all your notes." He smirked at her, his eyes taking on that almost affectionate glint that she was so used to seeing now.

"Forget it! And do me a favor. When you see me in the quad, pretend you don't know me."

"Are you kidding? We are gonna be best buds. Then you can introduce me to all your sorority sisters."

"Derek, you are the most annoying brother—"

"_Step_-brother." She couldn't breathe. The banter had ceased, and in its place was the familiar, yet completely foreign, tension that seemed to constantly surround them now. Before she could think about what she was saying, the words slipped out.

"Same difference." Her tone was casual, almost perky, but she felt like she was pleading with him. But why was she pleading with him? And why did her words feel like a death sentence? The expression on Derek's face, in his eyes, seemed to agree with that last thought, but his words held a completely different meaning.

"Yeah. You're right."

What had just happened?

**Ok, I have a general idea where I'm going with this, but it's going to take lots of work. Pus I have an English essay due Thursday, so the next chapter most likely won't be up til sometime next week. I love FanFiction, but school comes first. Sorry, guys! But I'd love it if you'd review. Praise, criticism, anything! When people review, it means they've read it, and that makes me happy.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I have different parts of the story vaguely formed in my head, and other parts I have no idea what I'm going to do. So just bear with me. Some chapters may seem really well developed and well written, and others may seem like crap. I apologize now. I'm going to do the absolute best I can.**

**And I forgot the disclaimer last chapter, so here it is. I own nothing except this fictional story, plot, and any new characters. The show Life with Derek, the known characters, etc are already owned. This disclaimer applies to all chapters. I'll forget otherwise, and I hope someone wouldn't be stupid enough to try sue me *rolls eyes*.**

The first few weeks of summer were difficult. Following their "same difference" conversation, Derek and Casey hardly said a word to the other beyond what was absolutely necessary. Lizzie and Edwin had almost immediately noticed the new tension between the eldest children, and more than a few times they could be found either simply watching the stiff exchanges between the two or locked up in a room whispering with one another. Nora and George, though slightly more oblivious with everything they had to think about, such as the coming baby, still recognized that there was something wrong but refrained from doing anything.

Marti and Daphne made a new language and could frequently be found meowing together.

LwD

Almost halfway through summer, one of Derek's distant "friends" threw a final before-college party. Derek and Emily went together in the Prince, and Truman picked Casey up separately. Both relationships had gradually become more and more strained until nearly everyone involved realized they would be ending very soon; the party was a last-ditch effort to have fun before the inevitable break-ups.

When Casey and Truman arrived, the party was already in full swing, people dancing, making out, and drinking. Derek and Emily were nowhere to be seen, and Casey could only imagine what they were doing. Within minutes they both had drinks and were dancing—or, more appropriately, Casey was dancing and Truman was trying to grind against her. Finally, when she couldn't take anymore, she excused herself to get a breath of fresh air.

Breathing a sigh of relief when she felt the warm night air hitting her skin, she sat down on the front porch, feeling the music beat through the wood against her. Leaning back on her hands, she tilted her head up to look at the stars and to think.

What had she been thinking? Derek wasn't her brother. He never would be. She hadn't sorted through her thoughts and feelings about him just yet—it was scary just to think about—but she knew her words that night were a lie. It was not the same difference. And now it was just weird between the two of them. She never thought she'd say this, but she missed getting in fights with Derek. She wanted to talk to him, but she didn't know what to say or how to bring it up. But it had to happen soon, before university started.

Casey exhaled and rotated her head, trying to get the tension out of her neck and shoulders. She'd been out here a while; it was probably time to join Truman again. With a resigned sigh, she went back in to the nearly visibly shaking house and began searching for her boyfriend. Catching sight of Derek and Emily dancing, she forced herself to keep walking. Finally she saw Truman—with another girl. They weren't kissing—_yet _—only flirting heavily. She raised an eyebrow at them and shook her head. Enough was enough. Calmly walking over, she gave a fake smile to the girl, then turned to Truman.

"Truman, we're done. Enjoy your summer, and good luck at university." She started to leave but was stopped by a hand grabbing her arm.

"Casey, what are you talking about? We still have the rest of the summer! Me and Lucey were just talking!" He ignored "Lucey's" muttered "Lacy".

"Truman, get real. We were going to break up soon anyway, might as well be now. Now you can flirt with whoever you want. I really don't care anymore." Again she tried to leave, but he still hadn't removed his hand.

"We are not done! _I_ say when we're done and we're not! Now—" Suddenly his hand was forcibly removed from Casey's arm by another hand. _Derek_. He barely spared Casey a second glance as he shoved Truman away from Casey.

"She said it's over. That means it's over. Now get a life and go." Derek crossed his arms and stood in front of Casey.

"Since when do you care? She's just your sister." Truman sneered at him.

"Whatever her relation is to me is of no importance. If a girl says you are done, you are done. Especially Casey. You've put her through her share of hell. Now she's done with you. So go." Derek didn't move, just watched as Truman finally gave up and stalked off with Lacy in tow.

"Derek, you didn't have to do that. But thank you." Casey laid a hand on his arm and smiled at him. He shook it off and scowled.

"Just being a good _brother_, right? No thanks needed." He began to storm off, then stopped and looked over his shoulder at her. "Leaving at 2. Be there or find another ride."

LwD

After they had dropped Emily off, they returned to the dark house and did their best to be quiet as they climbed the stairs to their rooms. However, instead of continuing to her room and going to bed, Casey stopped at Derek's door and turned to look at him. He had to stop abruptly to keep from running into her then scowled at her for the second time that night.

"Are you such a goody-goody that the party keeps you from finding your own room?" She rolled her eyes then became serious once more.

"We need to talk, Derek. About…this." She gestured between the two of them. She didn't know exactly what she was referring to, but there was no other way to phrase it.

He stared at her. "_This_? What's _this_? We're siblings, acting like siblings." Casey could tell his own words angered him when his jaw tightened when he finished.

"But we're not siblings! Whatever I said I was wrong! You're not my brother. Even if you were, you haven't been acting like it since we talked." Casey was frustrated, but fear of what could be or what could happen kept her from saying anymore.

"What happened to "same difference"? Hmm?" He leaned over her, his eyes dark and intense and pinning her against his door.

"I was wrong. It's not the same." She spoke quietly, her blue eyes locked on his brown eyes.

He remained quiet, not breaking eye contact. Then he leaned in closer, only millimeters, but it seemed like inches. "Are you sure?" he whispered. His arms were braced on either side of her, and his breath kept fanning over her face.

She knew what he was asking. He was asking if she was ready for whatever might happen in the future between them. He was asking if she could handle it without they tried to make it work. He knew her, inside and out, and he was asking her if she would be okay not knowing what would happen.

She loved planning and organizing and sorting. It made life easier, more manageable. It helped her to know and prepare for what could happen. But, with Derek, there was no planning. She knew if anything happened, she would have to try to let it happen and not plan the future. Could she do that?

She searched his face. His eyes, his face, his mouth. Especially his mouth. Then her gaze flicked back up to his eyes. She smiled slightly, then answered, "Yes."

He smiled a little in return. One hand came away from the wall to push her hair away and lightly run down the side of her face, then he pushed away from her.

"Okay." And pushing her aside gently, he entered his room and closed the door.

**Ok, forgive me. I'm not sure if this will end up going where I had originally planned it to go, but it will go somewhere. Derek's insults/pranks may be subpar because I'm not exactly good at those, but I will do my best. And I will do my best to keep them as in character as possible, but no promises. **

**I hope yall like it. Review? **


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank yall so much for all the Favorites/Story Alerts/ Reviews! It's great to see that yall are enjoying the story so much. My only concern is that it has already, in 2 chapters, gone completely off track from what I planned for it. So from here on out it's new, unless I manage to preplan in my head. **

**Also, sorry if Derek seems to be speaking rather intelligently/maturely. I'm an English major, so I tend to speak like that. I have to remember to keep him in character, which means dumbing it down. The amount of vulgar language will vary. I don't really like to curse or use vulgar language, but since Derek seems the type to do it a bit I will try to occasionally do it to keep him in character. **

The next morning Casey allowed herself to sleep in slightly later than usual, reasoning that not only had she been up late last night but also that it was the summer. When she did get up, the house was surprisingly quiet. She didn't expect Derek to be up for at least another two hours, but the lack of noise from anyone else in the house was almost eerie. This was odd.

Once she had gotten herself ready for the day, she headed downstairs. Figuring that any note left for her and Derek would be in the kitchen, she walked in to find not only a note on the counter, but Derek perched on a stool lazily eating a bowl of cereal. Had she entered an alternate reality? And what did last night's exchange mean for them now? Would they act differently? Would everything be the same? How would they end up together, if they did?

"Stop thinking, Space-Case, it's too early for that," Derek mumbled at her. She rolled her eyes at him but smiled to herself that everything seemed normal, so far.

"Where is everyone?" She asked him as she went to make herself breakfast.

"Out." Casey glanced at him to see him smirking at her. Then, instead of immediately returning his attention to his cereal bowl, he kept eye contact with her. His eyes seemed to soften and look at her with more affection, but still with that sarcastic smirk in place. She thought she saw a hint of a smile come out, but it disappeared when she spoke.

"Thanks, Captain Obvious. What I meant was—" She made her way to the counter, sitting beside him, and started eating.

"I know what you meant, Case. I don't know where they are. All I know is they're out."

She picked up the note and waved it in his face. "Hello? Did you not see this?"

"Yeah, I saw it. But I knew you'd be reading it, and why waste my time reading it when you can do it for me then tell me where they are?" He smirked again at her, but nudged her shoulder with his.

"De-rek! You're so lazy sometimes! Ughh!" Then she snatched the note and read it over quickly. It seemed everyone had gone out for the day. Lizzie and Edwin were spending the day and night with their respective friends, and Nora, George, and Marti were out for a day together. They would be back in the evening to pick up Casey and Derek for dinner.

Casey glanced at Derek out of the corner of her eye and smirked, then stuffed the note in her pocket.

"Well?" Derek turned to her and raised his eyebrows expectantly.

"Like you said. They're out." She smiled sweetly at him then turned her full attention to eating, doing her best to ignore him completely.

"Thanks, Captain Obvious." Derek imitated her, then scanned her quickly. "Nice try, Case, but I know what you're up to. You're trying to show me up by not telling me where they are. I don't really care."

Casey just smirked at him. "Great! It's too bad you won't be ready for later then." She hopped up and took care of her dishes, then started to leave.

"Wait. What's going on later?" He looked at her blankly.

"Oh, nothing you need to worry yourself with." And with that she left Derek sitting, still eating his now-soggy cereal.

"All right, Case. What's going on? What are the 'rents planning?" Derek leaned against Casey's doorway. His face was calm and uncaring, but Casey could tell she had gotten to him.

"I really don't know what you mean, Derek." Casey didn't spare him a glance, instead continuing to read a book on her bed. She had made herself a summer reading list. She had long covered most classics, but she decided to expand her horizons even more and cover some more books, classics or not. Currently, she was in the middle of Animal Farm.

"Casey, seriously. Come on." Derek dropped his cool guy attitude and plopped beside her onto the bed. He reached out and gently grabbed a lock of her hair, tugging slightly. When she turned to look at him, he smiled ever so slightly, reminding her of last night. She sighed.

"_Fine_. Mom and George are taking us out to dinner later, around 5. They want us to be ready. It sounds like it's a nicer place, so you should probably take a shower."

He grinned at her. "I showered this morning." He shifted, bringing his body closer to hers, though she wasn't sure if that was on purpose or not. "What are you reading?"

"Animal Farm. It's a fascinating portrayal of revolution and corruption using farm animals." She turned to him again. "You might actually enjoy it. It's like a history lesson, but not in a textbook. It uses an extended metaphor, the animals, to convey its message."

"Are you calling me simple-minded?" Derek fisted his hand into her hair and bumped her with his body, still grinning.

"No." She grinned in return, enjoying the light-hearted banter between them. If anything, this thing between them made it even better. "I just know how normal textbooks bore you. This might keep your attention better."

"Mhmm." He drew out the sound, releasing her hair. When he pulled his hand away and used the elbow to brace his body, she had to keep the disappointment from showing. But then his other hand came up and started outlining her face. She kept her face turned towards him, moving to allow his hand to move over more of her face, and letting her eyes flutter closed.

His fingers ever so gently skimmed over her face, trailing over her jaw and brushing her nose. She turned her body, leaning on one elbow and herself to completely face him. When the tip of one of his fingers brushed her mouth, she unconsciously parted her lips. When she didn't feel his touch on her anymore, she opened her eyes. He had moved closer to her, and his eyes were on hers. They held the eye contact for several moments, then Casey had to stop herself from jumping when he suddenly got up.

"I'll keep that in mind. What time did you say they'd be here?" Derek stopped just before leaving her room and looked at her over his shoulder. For a second his eyes seemed so much darker than usual, more intense.

"Five." His eyes returned to normal, and he left.


	4. Chapter 4

**Just a few things. First, I would suggest Animal Farm. I haven't read it in a few years and it wasn't one of my favorite books, but I wouldn't mind reading it again. And those of you who enjoy history and revolutions and such might enjoy the book.**

**I also want to say thank you sooo much for all the Favorites and Alerts. It makes my day to open my email and see all the alerts. I'm so glad everyone's enjoying the story so much. I also want to thank Dark-Supernatural-Angel, Constantinox3, and everyone else for the reviews. **

**Dark-Supernatural-Angel: I'm glad you like it so much! I love reading your reactions because it makes me happy and I like knowing someone is getting as big a kick out of my story as I get out of reading other stories. **

**Constantinox3: Thank you. That is such an honor. It makes me feel very accomplished when someone favorites me/my stories, and even better when someone like you tells me I'm one of their favorite authors.**

**Okay, lastly. I'm not Canadian (American) and I haven't seen the majority of the episodes. So any and all mistakes relating to the show or to their Canadian-ness, I apologize. I wouldn't be surprised at all if I make mistakes relating to either of those. **

**Okay, I'm done! Enjoy!**

Fifteen minutes before Nora and George were due home to pick them up, Emily called. Casey was putting the finishing touches on her outfit and makeup and put her on speakerphone.

"Hey, Em. What's up? I can't talk for long—"

"No, I know. It won't take long. I just wanted to call you and let you know that Derek and I broke up earlier today. But we're still friends." Emily sounded surprisingly okay. Despite the fact that it was well-known that they would be breaking up soon, Casey still thought Emily would take it harder than she seemed to be now.

"Oh, Emily. Are you okay?" Casey finished up and went back to her room and sat down on her bed.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I mean, I knew it wouldn't last. Derek and I just weren't meant to be a couple. He tried for my sake, and maybe his too, but it wasn't going to work long-term. I just wanted you to know. And we've already agreed to just be friends, so it's not going to be awkward. It'll be like before, except I won't have a wild crush on him." Emily chuckled at herself good-naturedly.

"Oh! Well, that's great. I'm glad it all worked out for the two of you so well. I have to go, Mom and George are about to be here, but I can call you later if you want." She started making her way downstairs as she talked.

"It doesn't matter. You can if you want. I'll let you go. Are we still going to the mall tomorrow?"

"Yeah, we are. I'll be over there at twelve, okay?" When she got downstairs she was surprised to see Derek all ready and waiting on his recliner.

"Okay, Casey. I'll see you tomorrow then. Bye!"

"Bye, Em!" Derek abruptly turned and looked at Casey.

"Emily told me you guys broke up." It was short, but it spoke volumes. Their eyes stayed locked.

"Yeah. It was time. There was no point in continuing it with…everything." He stopped again, still looking at her. Casey had a feeling she knew exactly what "everything" meant.

"Yeah." She had to break the contact before she said or did something that changed their current relationship and walked over to sit on the couch. "You're ready fast."

"I don't have makeup and crap to put on. I just throw on some clothes and I'm done." Derek smirked and popped his collar.

"Are they even _clean_?" Casey looked at him distastefully, but in reality she was having a hard time keeping her eyes from looking him over in appreciation.

Derek opened his mouth to retort but was interrupted by the sound of a horn beeping. Glancing outside, he stood up. "Come on, they're here."

George and Nora hadn't been exaggerating. The Glass Castle was known to be not only pricy, but also to have an excellent selection of food. Luckily, there was also a simple kid's menu for the more discriminating tastes such as Marti's.

Once they had ordered and been served, the two adults focused on the graduates. Nora was beaming proudly, especially at Casey, and George had his version of a proudly beaming smile, though this was more towards Derek.

"First of all, I know you've already heard this from us, but we are very proud of you two. You did so well, and you graduated! And Derek, your final grades were very impressive, we're extremely proud of you for applying yourself so well." Nora was still beaming, and everyone could see the unshed tears swimming in her eyes.

Then she hesitated, and her smile faltered a little. She looked to George for support, waiting for him to nod encouragingly at her, before turning back to Casey and Derek and continued.

"Now, I know you are both very excited to go to Queen's and get some distance from home and from each other. But, as I'm sure you both know, it's very expensive for you to both go there, even with your scholarships. And with the baby coming, along with taking care of everything else, George and I have had to take some things into consideration." Nora looked at Casey. "Casey, honey, I'm sure you know your father is helping out with some of your costs. And it's helping us out, but there's still the issue of housing. For the two of you to each live in a dormitory and eat, it's going to be over $20,000. That is a tremendous amount of money, as I'm sure you both realize."

Casey and Derek nodded seriously then glanced at each other. They could both sense what was about to be said. ****

"So we have decided, in order to try to save some money, that either one of you will live in an apartment or house, whether you pay rent or Casey's father buys it, and one of you will live in a dormitory, or you will both live in an apartment, which means you would be roommates." Nora stopped, clutching George's hand and watching the two of them, with a vaguely terrified expression on her face.

There was silence. Casey opened her mouth then closed it, eyebrows furrowing as she considered what her mother had said. Derek's face twisted into a mysterious expression for a few moments before relaxing; his familiar smirk slowly appeared.

"Why don't we just share an apartment? It'll be so much easier to prank Casey if we live together." He grinned and looked at Casey.

She glared at him, but bit her lip. She shot a look at her mother and George. "Which—which way would be cheaper?" She seemed afraid to hear the answer, as if she knew what it was.

"It _would_ be cheaper to either rent or buy an apartment. And of course there are some nice and affordable ones with two or three bedrooms, in case one of your friends decides to visit or spend the night." Nora sent her daughter a sympathetic look, but didn't take back her words.

"Well, if it would be cheaper, I guess we should go with that. I mean, we can make it work…right, Derek?" Her blue eyes peered at him, half pleading.

Derek considered for a moment himself. While they had both looked forward to living separately, this could work. Pranks would be easier, but so would be getting to know Casey better without the interference of their friends or family. They could be themselves there. They could give it a try. Right?

"Right, Case. Of course we can." Already, his university experience was different from his expectations, but not necessarily in a bad way.

**I know the whole living together during college is way overused, but i think it'll work better than them living in separate dorms. Plus it is more expensive, and with the family it would be cheaper. Anyway. Review! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey, yall! So the good news is I'm on summer break til mid-August, which would hopefully mean more frequent updates. But I'm also looking for a job, so who knows? I'm trying to update no less than once a month, but we'll see. **

**Quickly, disclaimer: I don't own LWD or Queens or anything, except this fictional idea and all fictional characters, etc. included in the story that have not yet been claimed.**

The next couple of weeks following the discussion were busy yet quiet. Casey and Derek were spending much of their free time searching online for apartments near the campus, and Casey, being the organized keener that she was, had already begun making several lists related to finding and living in an apartment. Derek teased her about it rather often, but he also made sure to occasionally, in some manner, let her know he appreciated it. He may not always act too intelligently, but he did realize the amount of effort that needed to be put into the whole process, and Casey was just the person to make sure it got done.

One day, when there was only a month left until university began, Casey popped into Derek's room with a beaming smile on her face. She could barely contain her excitement, bobbing up and down on her toes.

"Derek! I think I found us a place!" She sat down on his bed and looked expectantly at her step-brother, who was relaxing at his computer. He raised his eyebrows and smirked at her bubbly giddiness but gave in and took a place next to her on his bed.

"Alright, Case. Let's see it." He propped his arm on her shoulder, using it as an armrest, and leaned in.

She angled the papers so that both of them could see the picture and information clearly. "It's about five minutes from campus, so we'd have to either use the Prince or take a bus. It has two bedrooms and one bathroom, which means we would have to share." She gave him a pointed glance. "However, there is a full kitchen for me to cook and a decent sized living room for us to relax. There might be room for your recliner, I'm not sure, though. When we go look at it we can see. The neighborhood it's in isn't too shabby, no more crime than is usual. Oh! I almost forgot. It's within a complex, so it has a gym and a pool if we want to use those instead of using Queen's facilities. It's a tad more expensive than I would have expected, but overall it seems like a great deal." Finally she turned to Derek. "So? What do you think?"

Derek looked at the papers and considered what she had told him. It really did sound like a great deal. If they couldn't fit his recliner, he could get used to a different one. As much as he hated to admit it, his precious chair was getting rather old and shabby. As long as the visit lived up to what he was seeing and hearing, it sounded like a done deal.

He grinned at her, looping his arm around her shoulders. "I think we have ourselves an apartment."

LWDLWDLWD

Derek glanced at Casey as they drove down the highway. They had called up the main office of the complex and arranged a visit before they decided to make it official. Nora and George had approved it on their side, though they made it clear that the final decision was up to their eldest children, since they would be living in it for at least the next four years.

Now Casey could barely contain herself. Her entire face had been lit up since they'd backed out of the driveway with one of the biggest smiles he'd ever seen. It hadn't faltered once yet, and the roughly four hour drive was almost done. Derek found himself making a promise that one day in the next four years she would smile again like this, and it would be because of him.

As they began nearing the complex, he noticed her start to take note of different places they drove by and write things down. He could only assume she was preparing for the social and cultural aspect of college life—that's what she said earlier, wasn't it? In other words, she wanted a life outside of school. Derek had no intention of arguing with her; maybe he'd be able to convince her to check out some new places with him that old Casey—meaning Casey from immediately after the wedding—would _never_ consider. Now, however, she may just go along with him.

When they pulled into the parking lot, Casey was nearly bouncing with excitement. She was like a little kid going to the zoo for the first time; it was cute. Derek started to scowl to himself. Casey wasn't _cute_—but she was, actually, and Derek would have to start allowing himself to think of Casey like that and be more open to…feelings…if he wanted a chance with her. He knew if he had asked her to try not to plan them out and she had agreed, then he would have to do his part and go the other half. His scowl dropped. They were looking at an apartment to live in. Together. For the next four years. Just the two of them. He was _not_ messing this up.

**This is NOT the best chapter, I know. I got writer's block at the beginning and made myself finish it somehow so yall wouldn't be waiting forever for this. If it sucks, I'm sorry, hopefully this won't happen to every chapter. Also, I feel like Derek is getting a little OOC, but I'm not sure how to change that. He's meant to be more mature, but still himself, and I think I messed that up a bit. So if anyone has any tips, I'd love to hear them!**

**Review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey, guys. I apologize for the long wait between chapters/the last slightly sucky chapter. I've noticed one thing I struggle with the most as a writer is keeping the story going if it's a longer chapter story, versus a short story. So, I'm going to jump ahead several months for this next chapter; otherwise it'll either be put on Hiatus or it'll continue to suck until there's either inspiration or it reaches this point. So here ya go, enjoy! And review pleaseeee! They make my heart smileee **

**Oh, and since I haven't done this in a while and I wanna be safe, disclaimer: I do not own LWD, its characters, or anything recognized by other people. Anything not recognized by other people, i.e. this storyline, other characters, etc, belong to me. **

4 Months Later

"Derek! Have you seen my Women's Studies notebook? It was on my desk and now it's not and we have a test tomorrow and—" Suddenly a frantic and rambling Casey was stopped by a pair of hands on her shoulders. Derek kept a hold of her gently, a mildly concerned yet thoroughly amused expression on his face.

"Case, chill. The notebook is on the table, where you had it last night when you were studying. Plus, we both know you don't need to study anymore since you've been studying since your last test. Any more studying you do now will just be pointless since you know it all. So take a minute and breath, okay?" His eyebrows lifted, but his hands continued holding her until she took a deep breath, rolling her eyes slightly, and nodded. "Great! Now come watch a movie with me. There's actually something on that we both might like. Or, at least I'll definitely like it and you might."

With that, Derek turned her around and led her to the couch. She didn't want to admit it, but he was probably right. She studied her notes after every class, so there was a good chance she had the material memorized. One night of relaxing and not studying couldn't hurt much, right?

Derek plopped onto the couch and tugged Casey down next to him. Pulling the bowl of popcorn waiting on their coffee table into his lap, he paused and threw her a look.

"Alright, Princess. No more thinking and reviewing in that pretty little head of yours. Your only thoughts for the next several hours should either be about the movie or—" He stopped and smirked "—well, yours truly, of course." With that, he casually tossed his arm around her shoulders loosely and began the movie.

The brunette rolled her eyes to herself but nonetheless allowed herself to lean against him, taking a handful of popcorn and focusing on the movie—_not_ on the hand that was already beginning to idly play with her hair. After all, focusing on _that_ wouldn't get her very far and would only serve to distract her in such a way that he would notice. And that was not going to happen.

The past few months had been interesting. The tour of the apartment had proven to be successful, and they moved in two weeks before orientation to get used to everything and make sure they knew where the key spots were. At orientation, they had ended up in the same group, so the student introductory tour, registration, and other last minute details had involved a great deal of both bickering and discussing—what classes to take, what clubs to join, the particulars of their schedules, and so on. They had even met another freshman hockey player and a theater major, both of whom had become best friends with Derek and Casey respectively, which meant a great deal of the four of them hanging out together. What made it even more funny, or slightly twisted in Casey's eyes, was that Ryan and Jordan were on the verge of dating one another.

Since moving in and having a place of their own, there was a noticeable difference in their relationship. Despite the fact that Derek could still be extremely immature when he wanted to be and pull pranks and just be a general pain in the butt, those times were starting to happen less and less frequently. She had been surprised to find out that he could actually cook reasonably well, so occasionally they switched cooking duties when she was stressed beyond the usual or she didn't have the time to devote to making a meal. He also occasionally contributed to other household duties which usually belonged to her—occasionally being every once in a blue moon if he was feeling particularly kind.

They had become more affectionate with each other, more "touchy-feely", though it mostly only happened in private or around Ryan and Jordan. If an outsider didn't know the situation and was looking in, he might say that the two of them were on the way to a relationship, or even that they had long been an established couple and were comfortable with one another.

Suddenly, Casey was brought to the present by the sensation of Derek's fingers gently caressing her neck. She was caught off guard when the tips of his fingers grazed the spot both under and behind her ear, making her shiver and gasp slightly. Derek abruptly stopped and turned his head to try to look at her—a difficult feat given the fact that her head was fully resting on his shoulder.

"You okay?" He murmured into her ear. She lifted her head to look at him and was surprised to see an expression in his dark chocolate eyes that she had never seen before—fear, as if he was afraid he had overstepped a boundary between them.

She smiled and lifted her hand, brushing her fingers just as gently against his jaw in what she hoped conveyed affection. "Yeah, I'm fine." They held eye contact for a moment, ocean blue meeting dark chocolate, before she laid her head back down on his shoulder and very slightly curled into him more. In response, his arm tightened around her and he rubbed his cheek against the top of her head.

Casey couldn't help but smiling. College was so much better than she could have ever imagined.


	7. Chapter 7

**I know it's been ages since I've updated, and I'm really sorry. I truly had/have no idea where I'm going with this anymore, so each chapter is going to take a lot of work to get it somewhere decent. Plus school is really busy, and this is the first opportunity I've had a lot of free time to finish it. The plus side? I wrote a future chapter this summer, and it will either come after this one or the next one. But yea, I really am sorry for the long waits between chapters. I want to write the best possible material for this story, so I can no longer promise when any chapter will come anymore, with the exception of the one I already wrote.**

**Enjoy! And LWD isn't mine. At all.**

The next week, Derek came to a realization. Well, not quite a realization. It was hard to explain. Hell, it was hard to wrap his head around. But, basically, he had come to terms with the fact that he was in love with his step-sister, and that it was very possible that she felt the same way, and that if he played his cards right and got his act together, he could get her.

The question was if he could manage to not screw it up. Despite their being rather close at this point, he knew that if he really messed this up, he could lose her forever. And he wasn't willing to consider that.

This revelation came after two incidents: one involving each of them.

The first one was the day after Casey's Women's Studies test, when she had returned to the apartment stressing over auditions for some ballet production the school was putting on. She wanted so badly to audition for any role—although she had her eye on the lead role—but she was allowing her fear of failure and her insecurities to hold her back. Derek had sat her down, held her hands in his own, looked her in the eye, and told her to follow her heart and audition. "Princess, you can do anything you set your mind to. If you want the lead in this ballet, then go for it and get it. I know you can do it, Casey. You're an amazing dancer." And so she had. The look of complete trust in her eyes was what tore him apart and got him halfway to that determined attitude.

The second was the end of the week, when the hockey team had their first home game, and Casey had come to the game. Despite her barely understanding a thing about hockey, she had sat in the very front and cheered Derek on every minute of the game. Then, after they had won, she met him outside the locker room and jumped into his arms with a broad grin, despite how sweaty and stinky he still was. He couldn't sleep that night; he just kept reliving the feel of her in his arms, her face pressed into his neck, her playful grimace when she pulled away and declared that he needed a shower pronto. He knew he had it bad, but he couldn't help it. He was, quite frankly, in love.


	8. Chapter 8

**I am so, so, so sorry for the delay! I know it's been 8 months. First there was school, and then I just kept putting it off. Then my computer had to get reformatted. Plus I have no idea what I'm doing anymore, but I'm determined not to give up. But I'm going to try for you and for me. If you've stuck with me for this long, thank you! That means so much to me, especially because I get incredibly impatient when a story takes this long to update. I really haven't meant to keep everyone waiting…life (and procrastination) just happens. **

**So let me know what you think of this, and if you think it's worth continuing at this point? Thankss!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. The end. **

Casey took a deep breath and forced her feet to walk forward to the Dance Department's bulletin board, where several notices and flyers were pinned. Only one, however, was drawing her, and that was the cast list for _The Sleeping Beauty_. She had allowed Derek to convince her to audition for the role of Sleeping Beauty herself, though she hadn't been sure that she would get the role.

When she reached the board, she forced herself to scan the smaller and less significant roles for her name first, though whether it was to put off the impending disappointment of not receiving the lead role or to make the victory of receiving it all the better she wasn't sure. However, when she didn't see her name in any other female part, she closed her eyes, took a deep breathe, and opened them back up. Her gaze slowly made its way up the list until she found "Sleeping Beauty." Biting her lip, she forced herself to let her gaze drop to see the name. It wasn't her, it wasn't her, it wasn't – _Casey McDonald_. It was her. She had been given the role.

Casey blinked several times, processing the information, then a massive smile broke out across her face. Suddenly she turned on her heel and flew out the doors. She had to tell Derek.

* * *

Derek was reclining on their couch watching hockey and eating chips—he'd get to his homework in a bit—when the door flew open and Casey was suddenly standing two feet from him. Her face was flushed and she had one of the biggest smiles he had ever seen.

"Um, hi? What's up with the clown smile?" Okay, it wasn't really a clown smile. But it was still kind of unnerving.

"The cast list for _The Sleeping Beauty_ was posted today." Her eyes were sparkling now, and it looked as if she could barely contain herself. She was holding herself rigidly; it seemed she was afraid to relax in case she began bouncing off the walls.

"Isn't that the ballet you auditioned for? Wait…did you get it?" Derek had straightened up by now, moving from a slouch on the couch to standing less than a foot from Casey, his hands clutching her shoulders.

"Yes! I got it! I got the role of Sleeping Beauty, Derek!" Now that she had told him her news, she relaxed very slightly, and her hands had moved up to wrap around his arms.

"You got it? Of course you did! You got it! I knew you would!" Suddenly he picked her up and swung her around, his face as feverish and happy as hers. When they finally stopped, he gently set her on her feet and kissed her forehead, then pulled back and looked at her.

"We're going out to dinner. My treat. Go get changed into something nice." Derek winked at her then walked over to his phone and started dialing numbers.

* * *

A few hours later, the two of them sat in a, well, _cozy_, booth in a rather nice restaurant. The lights were dimmed, and each table had a few candles lit for ambiance and the extra light. The settings were china and polished silver, and each place had a wine glass, though half the time it was just used for water. Casey and Derek had been seated at a round booth, and after some slightly awkward glances and scuffles they had discovered a comfortable distance from each other that wasn't _too_ distant.

Casey looked around, bright eyes wide and reflecting the lights and candlelight around her. "Derek, how did you get us into here? It's got to be—"

"Shh." He held up his hand, brown eyes seriously regarding her. "That doesn't matter tonight. You deserve it for getting the role. Besides, when I become the star of Team Canada, you can do the same thing for me." Here his mouth stretched into a smirk.

"Well…okay. But thank you. Really, thank you." On impulse, she reached out and covered his hand. Derek's gaze dropped to their joined hands and his jaw dropped slightly; Casey looked equally surprised at her spontaneity but didn't remove her hand. After a slight hesitation, Derek turned his hand over and laced his fingers between hers, locking eyes with her.

"You're welcome, Princess."

**All right, I'm going to try to get one chapter out again before I go back to school in a couple weeks. I hope you enjoyed it. And I don't actually know if Team Canada is the right name, but that's the only name I could find. It's the national hockey team in Canada. **

**Hope you enjoyed! Please review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**I'M SO SORRY. Thank you to everyone for sticking with me and this story. I know how annoying it is when an author doesn't update for many months and you're stuck waiting for a new chapter. My life has been absolutely crazy lately. In the last six months I finished my first semester of junior year, moved back home, did a two month editorial internship, got my visa and packed, and now I'm in Chile! I'm studying here until the end of June, which is partly why I haven't updated until now. But it's been a chill day, so I made myself finish this. **

**I hope everyone is still enjoying this. Please review! I'll see if I can get another chapter up before I return, but no promises. I will see this story until the end, but I cannot promise regular updates. I will update when I can and when I force myself to write. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. If you recognize anything, it doesn't belong to me. I do this only for kicks and cookies, not for profit.**

That night, when they returned from dinner, they curled up on the couch together after changing into comfy sweats. Casey couldn't help but feel as if they had reached the beginning of that terrifyingly tempting path that was their relationship—the romantic one. They had just had a sort of date night, and now they were twined around each other and murmuring softly. This certainly felt like couplehood.

"Hey." Derek nudged Casey gently with the shoulder her head was on. Their legs were slightly tangled, her hands were lying on his chest and his were clasped around her, being respectful of such areas as her butt. "What's going on in that pretty head of yours?"

She moved her head until she was looking him in the eyes and took a moment to study his face. He was calm and relaxed, with a faint smile on his lips—lips that she was secretly looking forward to kissing at some point—and his eyes were soft.

"I was just thinking about where we are now … and where we came from. We used to hate each other's guts and now … now what?" She stopped and her mouth pulled to one side as she pondered her words. Then, as if remembering where she was, she looked back up at him.

"Now? Now we go with the flow and see where that takes us. We give this a try and see what happens. Does—what do you think of that?" He suddenly looked vulnerable, as if thinking she would laugh in his face and say no.

"Yeah. I want that." She smiled at him and rubbed his chest slightly. "But what happens if we find out that doesn't work? What if we end up hating each other? What does that do to us, to our family?" She bit her lip and shifted her head, studying her hands and how they looked against Derek. She liked this, liked them. She didn't want this to end.

"Hey, look at me." He waited until she was looking back at him—which admittedly took a few moments—before he started speaking again. "I will never hate you. If we end up fighting, which we probably will, we will move on. If we decide to take a few days or a week break just to cool off, so be it. But I will _never_ hate you. I think one thing we can agree on is that no matter what happens between us, our family needs to be a common point. If we end up parting ways, when we're with them everything is okay. No one needs to be alienated or anything—and yes, I used a big word correctly." He winked at her and she chuckled.

"Yes. I want that. I don't want them to ever come in between us or feel like they have to choose sides. That's unfair." She snuggled into him for a moment, then looked up at him quizzically. "So where do we go from here?"

"Well, I was thinking we could start by going on a date. Or, you know, making out. I wouldn't be opposed to that." He laughed when she protested and thumped him on the chest, (mostly) pretending outrage. "I'm kidding, Case. I mean, I definitely am interested in that, but I'm going to treat you right and do right by you, and we're going to go out. One thing, though, and I'm being serious about this." His face smoothed out, and she realized he meant it when his face set and he gazed into her eyes determinedly. "I intend to treat you right, like I said, and be respectful. I know I haven't always been respectful in the past to you or other girls, but that's going to change. From now on, when it comes to us, if I say or do something that makes you uncomfortable, you tell me. I know you pretty well by now—" Here he shrugged mockingly "—but there's always the occasional thing that I've missed or forgotten about. And I don't want to push you away or piss you off by doing something wrong. Can you promise me you'll do that?"

She smiled at him, relieved that it wasn't that bad. "Yes, Derek. Thank you, that means a lot to me."

He smiled back at her and squeezed her slightly to him. "I know. Now, if you _really_ want to say thank you, I was thinking of a little lip action…" He smirked at her.

Casey laughed and pulled away. "Nice try! We need to take this slowly. And I never make out with a guy on the first date, and I don't even know that tonight could be considered our first date. We didn't decide we were going to go out until we got back. That was a congratulatory dinner you brought me out to."

Derek heaved a long sigh. "I suppose you're right. I don't suppose you ever just kiss a guy before the first date?" He waited for her to roll her eyes at him. "Didn't think so. Well, then. Casey, would you do me the honor of going on a true date with me?"

She pretended to think for several moments. "I don't know…I'm already living with you, I don't know if it's a good idea if we make this relationship romantic as well…" She kept the charade up for another minute just to mess with him, then she relaxed and smiled up at him. "I would love to, Derek."

He couldn't keep a massive smile off his face. "How about this Friday at 9?"


	10. Author's Note

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**I'm very sorry to be posting this, but I want to let you all know. I started writing the next chapter, but for personal reasons I am stepping away from the story and FanFiction for a while. I wouldn't have much time to write anyway – full time student, part time job, internship – but I find myself needing to step away from this for an undetermined time. **

**I will be back someday. I am not leaving this story forever unfinished.**

**IF YOU HAVE A DESIRE TO CONTINUE THIS STORY AND YOU THINK YOU CAN DO IT JUSTICE, PLEASE SEND ME AN ASK ON TUMBLR (SPINNINGINTHESTORM) OR EMAIL ME AT ANGELGAL5382 . I would be happy to talk to you, tell you where I had it going, and send you the chapter I had been working on if I feel you can do it justice. However, I will be coming back to finish it (unless you're doing a far better job than I would have done).**

**I'm sorry to leave you all hanging like this, but it's necessary for now. Thank you for sticking with this story (especially since I have been so inconsistent with how often I posted chapters) and these characters. **

**Love to you all,**

**ButterflySoft2010**


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